You're three years past the height of the pandemic, and you thought things would feel easier by now. Instead, you're still canceling plans, snapping at your kids, and wondering why you can't catch up. If you're still running on empty, you're not alone.

As a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a background in occupational therapy and over 14 years supporting overwhelmed parents, I've watched countless families navigate this particular exhaustion. Post-COVID parent burnout is a nervous system issue first, not a time management problem.

Standard self-care doesn't work because it addresses surface tiredness, not nervous system depletion. When your body is in survival mode, bubble baths can't touch the level of restoration you need.

Recovery requires nervous system regulation first, then practical capacity building. Here's what actually helps when you're still burned out years later.

The other day, I heard myself say something that surprised me: "I think I'm still burned out from COVID." Years after the pandemic, many capable, caring parents are still exhausted. Not because we're weak, but because we went from three years of hypervigilant, intensive parenting directly back to full life demands without any recovery time. Our nervous systems never got to reset. This is what compounded exhaustion looks like, and it's more common than you think.

You’re trying to run your pre-baby life with a completely different nervous system, and no one told you that was going to happen. It’s not a failure of will; it’s a biological reorganization called matrescence. Here is why your capacity feels smaller, and why that’s actually a sign of your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Feeling dread instead of excitement about family trips? Here's what's happening in your nervous system and how to partner through capacity differences. Vacations feel hard when one partner carries more mental load because their nervous system is already operating near capacity. High-stress situations like travel don't just add more tasks—they push an already depleted partner into survival mode where even basic tasks become overwhelming. This reveals existing imbalances in how mental load is distributed.

Regulation in parenting isn’t about staying calm all the time. It’s about having a flexible nervous system that can rise with big emotions and return to steadiness. This post reframes regulation through a nervous system lens and offers realistic, body-based ways parents can build capacity, repair after hard moments, and support their children’s resilience without forcing calm.

Kids often feel more overwhelmed during the holidays. Routines shift, sensory input increases, and their developing systems work harder to stay steady. Learn why this happens and the small adjustments that help children feel more grounded and supported.

Holidays overwhelm ADHD women for reasons that go far beyond busyness. Sensory overload, emotional labor, disrupted routines, and shorter days drain capacity fast. If you find yourself shutting down, snapping, or withdrawing this season, you are not failing. Your nervous system is overwhelmed. Here is why it happens and what you can do.

Feeling exhausted before the holidays even begin? You are not alone. Here is why your capacity feels low and how to support your nervous system this season.

Parent burnout isn’t a failure of patience. It’s a sign of diminished capacity. Learn how nervous system depletion affects parenting reactions, why self-compassion supports regulation, and how evidence-informed, practical strategies can help parents rebuild capacity and repair with their children.